How high is my risk of cardiovascular disease?

The term cardiovascular disease describes the various diseases of the heart and the blood vessels. These include heart attack and stroke. They are triggered when tissue parts of the heart or brain are not sufficiently supplied with blood or the corresponding blood vessels rupture.

Heart attacks and strokes usually come as a surprise to the people affected. They can lead to reduced physical performance, long-term motor or nerve damage and, in the worst case, death.

Use the Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score to determine your personal risk of developing a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years. If your risk is increased, you can actively reduce it by changing your lifestyle. The risk test was developed by the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE) and financially supported by the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD).

The Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score has been designed for people who have not yet been diagnosed with a heart attack or stroke. This means that you cannot do the test if you already have or have had one of the cardiovascular diseases mentioned.

What is the meaning of the test results?

The test shows what you can do personally to prevent a heart attack or stroke. In principle, the following applies: A healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, plenty of exercise, no or as little alcohol consumption as possible, no smoking, little stress and sufficient sleep can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

You can find more information on what you can do to prevent the development of cardiovascular disease here.

Please note that even people at low risk can fall ill. People at high risk, on the other hand, can remain healthy. Avoiding or reducing risk factors is no guarantee of not falling ill.